1
6 The Daily Tar Heel Wednesday, February
Greg Porter
Editor
Ben Cornelius, Managing Editor
Ed Rankin, Associate Editor
Elliott Potter, Associate Editor
Laura Scism, University Editor
Keith Hollar, City Editor
Tony Gunn, State and National Editor
Reid Tuvim, News Editor
Sara Bullard, Features Editor
Chip Ensslin, Arts Editor
Gene Upchurch, Sports Editor
An FN Jfrnigan. Photography Editor
Select campus leaders today;
vote for quality services
Turnout for student elections has never been high. The standard
reason given for loW turnout is that student government is "such a
joke." But there is some question as to whether turnout is low because
student government is a joke, or whether student government is a joke
because nobody votes.
There is little doubt that the only way to make sure student
government is not a joke is to select leaders and not jokes.
jr.
Phillips
f t
Bllionis
(
Mitchell
The Daily Tar Heelhzs endorsed three candidates who are capable
of making the most of your money and capable of improving the
quality of student life on this campus and in this town. They are Jim
Phillips for president, Lou Bilionis for editor and Pete Mitchell for
CAA president.
We have sought, however, in six pages of special election coverage
to give readers enough information to choose candidates they feel will
do a good job. We hope that you agree with our choices. We hope we
have given you enough information to make comfortable choices on
all the races.
But most of all, we hope you will make your opinion known in the
election today. And we're not joking.
Phencyclidine: A 'pretty awful drug' re-emerges to haunt streets
Continued from page 1.
Parke, Davis and Co., the developers of
the drug, conducted experiments with PCP
on human subjects until 1965, when the
practice was abandoned. According to a
recent issue of American Pharmacy, patients
involved in the Parke-Davis experiments
suffered from psychoses that closely
resembled schizophrenia. They suffered
from thought disorder, estrangement,
autism and severe nightmares.
The psychoses lasted no more than several
hours with normal patients. When the drug
was administered to patients diagnosed as
chronic schizophrenics, the reaction was
frequently more severe and lasted as long as
six weeks.
But not all PCP trips are bummers. Some
users simple fall into stupors, experiencing
numbness and isolation.
Eddie, a UNC student recently
interviewed at his apartment, describes his
own experience with PCP: "It wastes you
away. You don't know what's going on. It's
not really fun. It just fucks you up.
"It destroys your sensory perceptions.
You can't see the feet in front of you. You
just get blown away. 1 could hear every
word, but I was unable to form complete
sentences. I don't remember a whole lot else.
"I was really burned out the next morning.
I wouldn't say it was a completely
unpleasant experience, but 1 wouldn't ever
do it again."
According to a recent Raleigh News and
Observer article, one man told Rufus
Edmisten that PCP made him ieel like an
ammai.
Ironically, the only legitimate users of
phencyclidine are animals. Since 1967,
application of the drug has been limited to
veterinary medicine. Originally sold by
Parke-Davis under the label Sernyl, it is a
strong animal tranquilizer The rights to
manufacture phencyclidine were sold by
Parke-Davis to Bio-Ceutic Laboratories in
1969.
Phencyclidine was developed in the mid
1950s as a surgical anesthetic but was soon
dropped from human treatment after
patients began showing acute side effects.
Some patients began awakening from the
effects of the drug complaining of
nightmares and exhibiting bizarre behavior.
Experiments with PCP also verified the
acute side-effects suffered by humans
administered the drills. There was no
evi Junes tf harmful effects en other annuls,
15, 1978
1r
Batty
85th year ol editorial freedom
Think about it a second. Who's joking about the
use of $184,000 in student monies? Who's joking
about the Honor Code? Who's joking about
academic curriculum we all share?
Today, dozens of candidates are asking us for
the opportunity to spend our money. The next
president, the next editor, new presidents of RH A
and CAA everyone who is elected will have
some say as to how vour money is spent.
The quality of your newspaper, of student
government, of athletic opportunity will depend
on today's election.
And not only will these elected officials spend
our money but they will jointly affect the quality of
life on this campus. As they deal with the issues,
from. Honor Code and desegregation to
Homecoming, these elected officials will be our
proxy. It is they who will make decisions that we
live by. It is they who will have the opportunity to
get things done for the student body.
Today, we have our opportunity to help shape
these events of the future by choosing the
individuals who will take part in them.
so PCP remained on the veterinary market.
PCP first appeared as a street drug in San
Francisco in 1967. It was called the "Peace
Pill." But many experienced drug users were
disappointed in the new high, downgrading
its "chemical" or "inorganic" feeling. PCP
soon dropped from the illicit market.
Inflated prices of hallucinogens such as
mescaline and LSD brought it back. PCP is
relatively easy to synthesize in basement
laboratories, and the necessary chemicals are
readily available at most drugstores. The
ingredients are legally obtainable but will
not be listed because such information might
be abused. Raw materials costing SI 25 can
be transformed into $ 100,000 worth of PCP
in a clandestine laboratory.
Pushers found they could sell PCP or PCP
mixtures as other drugs cocaine, LSD,
THC, mescaline or other hallucinogens sold
in a crystallized form and increase their
profits astronomically. Furthermore,
phencyclidine produces reactions that
cannot be classified by most inexperienced
drug users; thus, the credibility of a bogus
drug sale is rarely questioned.
PCP is sold as a powder, a tablet, in a
"rock" crystal or mixed w ith a leafy material
such as parsley or marijuana. It can be
smoked, snorted or eaten. It is water soluble
and can be drunk or injected ("running it
up").
PCP usually is sold as a white powder in
Chapel Hill, according to one source. It is
not easily obtainable in North Carolina.
However, if the demand becomes desperate
enough, a supply usually can be found.
The leafy substance is known as "Angel
Dust" or "Superweed" and often costs about
$100 per ounce. In other forms, PCP
generally costs about SI to $3 per hit (2 to 6
milligrams) and $20 to $45 per gram.
The price of PCP is easily affordable for
most junior high and high school students.
In addition, teenagers frequently are
unaw are of the "bummer" potential of PCP,
so they make easy prey for dealers w ho don't
have to worry about camouflaging their
goods. "The kids today like to listen to Kiss
(a popular rock group), punk rock and do
PCP," says one member of the drug culture.
Perez-Reyes maintains that the major
problem with PCP lies with the distributor
who misrepresents his product.
Phencyclidine commonly is sold as phony
THC. the active ingredient m marijuana.
Buyers are led to believe they aie getting a
crystallized formof'IIIC - a thought winch
can excite the inexperienced diugc.e who
letters to the editor
'Hot weather chauvinists' don't value winter
To the editor:
Your DTH article "Winter storms move in
cases of humdrum" (Feb. 8) is typical of the
hoo-hah' perpetuated by hot weather
chauvinists and sissies who panic at the sight
of a single snowflake.
Winter storms are cheering, fascinating
and beautiful. Storms and their after-effects
remind us that in spite of nature's apparent
tamcness in our centrally heated country, we
are still subject to the laws of the universe.
Storms reveal our familiar surroundings in
new ways; they shake the humdrums out. not
bring them on. Like Thoreau. we should all
become inspectors of storms.
Long winter rains are peaceful and
cleansing. Cold is invigorating. Hot weather
:.s boring and promotes lethargy, allergies
and vermin. Don't complain about the
weather. Celebrate it and celebrate life!
Edwin Monsell
School of medicine
Loosen special interest grip
To the editor:
J am writing in response to a proposed
amendment to a bill soon to be before the
U.S. House of Representatives called the
Public Financing Amendment. It is
concerned with the financing of
congressional campaigns.
In "essence, it proposes that small public
contributions be matched with tax dollars,
and it limits the amount that can be
contributed to campaigns by special interest
groups. This amendment would
considerably decrease the influence special
interest groups have on our congressmen
and would reduce the temptation for a
congressman's vote to be bought by a large
campaign donation.
Public financing was used in the 1976
presidential elections and was a tremendous
success. To assure passage of this important
amendment, everyone's support is needed.
UNC Common Cause has tables in the union
with more information and has prestamped
postcards available for appeals to your
congressman for his support.
Lynne Pollock
Page Dettor
UNC Common Cause
Cureton support
To the editor:
We, the members of the Carolina Indian
Circle, strongly and without reservation give
our utmostsupport to Gordon Cureton in his
efforts to become student body president.
We believe his experience, dedication and
leadership qualifies him as the only
candidate for this important position. We
endorse Gordon Cureton for the following
reasons:
He is the most experienced candidate.
Cureton has a broad knowledge of student
opinion and knows where, as well as how. to
express these opinions to the administration.
His innovative ideas and efficient
organization will help more administrative
decisions to be geared toward satisfying
student wishes.
He wants to take the status quo out of
Student Government, making sure that he
has a diversified staff that exemplifies the
richness of North Carolina's social make-up.
He not only supports the building of
academic education but also the educational
values that can be realized through the
would crave an intense form of marijuana.
Caveat emptor.
"THC is never sold." Perez-Reyes says. "It
is something that just is not available.
Whenever they sell something that is called
THC. what they are really selling is PCP."
Actually, Perez-Reyes explains. THC has
been synthesized. But the sythesis is a
technically difficult process, and the drug is
very expensive. Pure THC is available only
as a resin or a capsule of oil-like liquid.
Perez-Reyes says., On the other hand, the
"THC" on the market usually is sold as white
powder.
The Do It Now Foundation, a national
non-profit organization for street drug
education, has also issued a strong warning
about the THC rip-off: "Real THC seems to
have enjoyed very few appearances on the
market due to the cost factor and the
instability of the drug due to temperature
restrictions. (It loses potency if not kept
cold.) Virtually all THC on the streets has
actually been PCP." That was the conclusion
included in the Const ientious Guide to Drug
Abuse, a Do It Now publication dedicated
"to keeping people from getting ripped oli.
and to keep them knowledgeable enough
about dope so they won't net hurt."
Many of the hard-core members of the
drug culture have recognized the rip-olj.
John is a UNC student who sells and uses
marijuana, speed and acid, among other
drugs. John admits he has tried PCP
occasionally but maintains that the drug is a
bummer. Most of John's acquaintances also
recognize that. But many of them keep
selling and using PCP.
"1 remember one dude w ho had a baggie
full of 'THC " John says. "He kept cutting it
and selling it, cutting it and selling it. He
knew it was PCP. He just didn't care."
John says it is not a matter of financial
concern outweighing moial concern for
most PCP dealers. "I guess you can say there
is no morality involved."
John's friend Andy says a few PCP users
recognize the drug they are using and the
risks involved but still continue to take it.
"They like the high," he says. "They like not
being able to move.
"1 had one friend w ho did some PCP and
saw himself sitting beside him on the bed."
Andy says. "He just rolied over and passed
out lor a day."
As mentioned earlier, Eddie has given up
PCP because of his strange first encounter
with the drug. "See. I did a whole dime
(approximately $o worth)," Fddic says.
interaction of students, administration and
the community.
As student body president, Cureton will
do more than what is traditionally expected
of the position. He will step forward with
strong commitments to move the University
and the people of North Carolina to the
forefront of affirmative policy.
Cureton has proven that he is a
dedicated candidate because of his long-time
support and service to the student body in
past administrations. He has already spoken
to several student groups and met with many
community leaders regarding such topics as
improving the bus service.
fn summary, we believe that Gordon
Cureton is the best candidate to represent the
entire student body.
Forest Hazel
Terry Brayboy
Elias Kevin Maynor
Homophobia at UNC
To the editor:
I am appalled by the neanderthal
sentiments of the 19 residents of Mangum.
Their thinking is exactly that kind which
keeps North Carolina where it is today a
sexist, racist, economically unjust and
judicially corrupt society. The Constitution
of the United States declares unequivocally
the separation of Church and State. 1 would
be the last to deny Christians their right to
practice their form of relicion, but sweet
Anita Bryant, Jeff Ellington and their kind
have no right to legislate their "Christian"
morality into our legal system and our public
institutions. The very reason that gays rights,
for example, are so difficult to effect legally
is all the more reason that gay rights, like
women's rights, have to be written
demonstrably into our law code so that all
people will be granted equal protection and
consideration under the law. The fact that'
many Americans are so ready to deny gay
people of comparable equal rights solely on
ORYouYSraacpli...'TrW -
You really only need to do a half-dime. I did
the half and then said (to a friend). 'Flaherty,
how long does it take to hit you?'
"He said five minutes. It had been at least
10. so did the other half. I said 'Gail, how
long does this stuff take to hit you?'
She said, 'half an hour.' Uh oh."
Eddie's rejection of PCP is typical of the
reactions of most people who experiment
with the drug, says Arthur McBay, chief
toxicologist for the N.C. Medical
Examiner's Office. "It's popularity in this
area is probably overrated by the public.
"Most people are fairly convinced that the
drug is pretty awful, On the other hand, PCP
abuse is not in the same league with the
problems created by alcohol."
According to the wave theory of drug
abuse, the popularity of a particular drug
usually starts on the West Coast and spreads
steadily eastward If the wave theory proves
reliable, the eastern parts of the United
States may soon be dealing with a type of
drug abuse that has reached nearly epidemic
proportions in California.
San Diego law-enforcement officals
the basis of the warped views expressed in a
book written 2.000 years ago or more by
members of a desert society all shows an
egregious lack of profound thought. The
Bible cannot dictate law in America.
Secondly, those stalwart "straight"
defenders of the Faith, who are nauseated by
the mere thought of that "queer" society
CGA, might do well to consider that other
people, myself included, might also feel the
slight pang of stomach discomfort when
realizing that the UNC campus harbors a
number of Christian and right-wing groups
who. too. may speak to the needs of only a
minority and especially to a minority which
others, myself included, might find
unappealing. Life is manifold and diverse;
we must be tolerant. To say gay people
deserve hell is stupid and unloving.
Christians take note. The 19 residents of
Mangum are obviously endowed with a
senseless, paranoid homophobia. Perhaps
they should consult the folks at the Center
for H uman Sexuality in the Carolina U nion
to learn about homosexuality and to get
their psycho-sexual hang-ups worked out.
According to the 19 members' letter, the
Center for Human Sexuality, whose
resources they could well make use of,
should not be financed by UNC and its
students, as it is a sexually-oriented
organization.
Because homophobia, with all the sexual
fears that it engenders, is so prevalent, even
here at UNC. and because homophobia like
most other hate is essentially destructive
both to the individual and to society as a
whole, the need for UNC's financing of a
"sexually oriented organization," such as the
Carolina Gay Association and Center for
Human Sexuality, is evident and socially
redeeming. A part of students' striving for an
education something which the 19
residents of Mangum imply they value
highly is sexual education. Obviously, the
19 residents of Mangum have had little
sexual education as proven by their narrow,
intolerant sexual views, and obviously they
estimate that nearly a third of that city's
overdose deaths in 1976 resulted from PCP.
Phencyclidine was the most common drug
reported in drug-overdose screening in
Detroit in 1975. Similar studies in
Washington, D.C., and New York gave
indicated that the popularity of PCP is rising
in those cities.
Phencyclidine abuse is becoming
recognized as a national urban problem.
Two television news shows, CBS' 60 Minutes
and ABC News Closeup, spotlighted the
drug in primetime programs that aired
within a week of each other this fall.
But the increasing rate of abuse in the
large urban areas may not indicate a
nationwide trend of growing popularity,
according to McBay. He says the wave
theory proved valid for marijuana but not
for heroin. "These forecasts (the wave
theory) may be okay for areas like New
York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, but not
for the entire eastern United States," he says.
McBay says there are 16 PCP seizures for
every 800 marijuana seizures made in North
Carolina. "We're very hapov we haven't
could profit from the sexual educational
services provided at UNC-Chapel Hill.
James F. Weigand
213 N. Graham St.
Check Democratic box
To the editor:
Judging from the D TH letters column
lately, a lot of people would like to see right
wing Republican Sen. Jesse Helms lose the
election this fall. Of course, voting against
him is the best way to insure his retirement,
but here's another way to help beat Jesse.
Near the bottom of the state income tax
form is a section marked "N.C. Election
Campaign Fund." By checking the
appropriate box on this form, a taxpayer can
designate that $1 of his taxes go to the
political party of his choice. Of course, to
help defeat Jesse Helms, the "Democratic"
box should be checked.
This will not increase the amount of tax
you owe. If you are getting a refund, it will
not decrease the amount of your check. And,
if enough people take advantage of this
opportunity, it can mean up to $200,000 for
the fight to beat Jesse and elect a Democratic
senator this fall.
When you do your taxes, check that box!
Bruce Tindall
Secretary, Orange County
Democratic Party
The Daily Tar Heel welcomes letters to
the editor. Letters must be typed, double
spaced, on a 60-space line and are inject
to condensation or editing for Ifciiotdr
content or bad taste. j
Letters should not run over 30 lines
(30ft words) and should be mailed to the
Daily Tar Heel. Carolina Union.
Unsigned or initialed columns onthil
page represent the opinion of the Qaity
Tar Heel. Signed columns qr ctriooffti
represent the opinion of the indljidr
contributor only. .
t)ucm.i)UVE inowo
discovered this here."
Most PCP sold in North Carolina is
manufactured in California, according to a
spokesperson in the N.C. Attorney General's
office. Los Angeles police say they raid
about one" or two illicit phencyclidine
laboratories a week there. Most of the
laboratories, called "big outfits," are hidden
in California hills, in similar fashion to
moonshine stills. (The term "pig outfit"
probably was derived in the early years of the
drug's popularity when PCP was advertised
as a hog tranquilzer.)
The first clandestine laboratory known to
exist in North Carolina for the manufacture
of PCP was raided by law-enforcement
officials in November.
Three Halifax County men were charged
with illegal manufacture of the drug in
connection with the North Carolina raid,
1 which was in Warren County. State drug
'agents confiscated more than $100,000
worth of the drug during the raid. Also
confiscated were a pickup truck, lab
materials, buckets, chemicals and parsley.
The "pig outfit" was in a small aluminum
shed.
Perez-Reyes says the PCP manufactured
in clandestine laboratories is particularly
dangerous. "In this kind of synthesis, there
are a lot of impurities that can be very toxic.
The toxicity of the drug is supplemented by
the toxicity of the impurities."
The impurities also complicate the
already-difficult identification process for
the drug. Since relatively little PCP is
identified properly by the vendors,
emergency-room physicians treating
overdoses frequently cannot help patients
because they cannot detect the drug.
"There's no middle ground when itcomes
to PCP," Andy says. "Either you like the
stuff or you hate it."
Law-enforcement officers and media
across the nation are encouraging people to
adopt the latter attitude categorized by
Andy. Until recently, information about
PCP was dispensed by work of mouth. The
dangers of the drug and its growing
popularity are well recognized by many
authorities, but, unfortunately, are not
common knowledge.
That's why Perez-Reyes says the national
media should continue to expose the
negative effects of PCP and the misleading
tactics of phony drug dealers as often as
possible. "The answer may be education," he
says. "We must end our ignorance."